Um, what? (Re: UV lighting)

[ceduke]

I picked up my first leo this evening. I've been waiting since July, getting stuff together and learning what I could. I've had my eye on a lovely little normal at a local pet store for some time. When I picked him up tonight, the employee there threatened ot refuse the sale if I didn't buy him a UV lamp. Maybe I'm losing it, but I've never seen anything that leads me to believe that they need UV. Am I missing something? The guy was utterly insistent and pitched such a fit, you'd think I was trying to walk out with a bag of calcium sand. (He's on paper towels.)

Anyways, I'm stressed out now. Rango has a 20L with paper towel substrate, UTH set on a thermostat to 95 on one side, five hides around the tank (one moist hide with paper towels, two regular hides on the warm side, and two on the cool side), a shallow water dish, dish of calcium, dish for mealworms, and a probe thermometer to make sure my thermostat behaves. This morning I was totally confident that I was ready to bring him home, now I'm all flipped out.

 

[tiedxupxinxknots]

I picked up my first leo this evening. I've been waiting since July, getting stuff together and learning what I could. I've had my eye on a lovely little normal at a local pet store for some time. When I picked him up tonight, the employee there threatened ot refuse the sale if I didn't buy him a UV lamp. Maybe I'm losing it, but I've never seen anything that leads me to believe that they need UV. Am I missing something? The guy was utterly insistent and pitched such a fit, you'd think I was trying to walk out with a bag of calcium sand. (He's on paper towels.)

Anyways, I'm stressed out now. Rango has a 20L with paper towel substrate, UTH set on a thermostat to 95 on one side, five hides around the tank (one moist hide with paper towels, two regular hides on the warm side, and two on the cool side), a shallow water dish, dish of calcium, dish for mealworms, and a probe thermometer to make sure my thermostat behaves. This morning I was totally confident that I was ready to bring him home, now I'm all flipped out.

No UV light is necessary, just make sure ur air temps are no lower than 70's and you wont need a bulb, most petsores dont know much about LG's so they are inaccurate.

 

[lillith]

UV isn't necessary, they get all the light of that sort they need from the indirect sunlight of the room they are in. If they refuse to sell you the gecko on those grounds, that would be pretty stupid.

Refer them to this link and familiarize them with the term "crepuscular".
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/whatreptilesneed.htm

Especially if you bought all that other stuff for it at their store, it sounds like it's going to be a nice setup for your geck-kid. Huge props for researching first, I think you'll be a great leo owner.

 

[katie_]

If you really love that gecko, I would buy the UV lamp and return it later, depending on their return policy.
Some people are uneducated, and believe all reptiles require UV. This employee sounds like he cares a lot about his gecko friends, but is misinformed about their care.

 

[ceduke]

If you really love that gecko, I would buy the UV lamp and return it later, depending on their return policy.
Some people are uneducated, and believe all reptiles require UV. This employee sounds like he cares a lot about his gecko friends, but is misinformed about their care.

It almost came to that, but he eventually let me take the little guy home, after an extensive lecture on MBD.

I had a little chuckle this morning at the whole thing....I was a registered vet tech working in a clinic that saw a lot of exotics, I've worked in pet stores for over seven years, and I research any new animal friends thoroughly after watching people buy animals on impulse and all sorts of mayhem result from it. Still, one person questions my husbandry and suddenly I'm all insecure again. I really want the best for the little fellow.

Here's my "just a normal".

 

[JordanAng420]

You sound like a great owner. If opportunity presents itself, maybe refer this employee to our website? Also maybe photos of geckos and their setups from big breeders who have been breeding without uv for years.

Cute gecko! It's fun to watch them grow and change.